Major shopping malls in the Rajprasong area and nearby have seen a surge in shoppers returning to the popular venues one month after the end of the red-shirt protest.
Kanyaratana Chok-Oon-Kit, executive vice president for business development and lease management at Siam Piwat, said the number of shoppers visiting the Siam Paragon complex was now more than 10 per cent higher than predemonstration levels, or about 100,000 shoppers on weekdays, and up to 150,000 per day at weekends.
The number of visitors at Siam Centre is now close to precrisis levels: 60,000-70,000 on weekdays and more than 100,000 a day on weekends.
"Urban shoppers are quite stressed these days and they are looking for venues to give them relief. Many Thai people love shopping, dining out and meeting friends as a way to relax," she said. "Siam Paragon is positioning itself as the destination for urban people to spend their lives and enjoy their lifestyle."
Siam Piwat, which also operates the Paradise Park shopping complex on Srinakarin Road, has opened 40 per cent of the 100,000-square metre retail venue over the past few months. Those parts open and operating include an educational centre on the third and fourth floors, banking services and a 5,000-square metre Digital World zone on the second floor.
The company yesterday said a new zone called Beauty and Wellness would open next month. It will occupy more than 6,000 square metres of retail space.
Gaysorn Land Asset Management deputy general manager Satima Tanabe said the number of shoppers at Gaysorn shopping centre had gradually rebounded since the beginning of this month.
"We are now achieving 80 per cent of prerally levels. At present about 9,000 shoppers are coming to our shopping mall per day on average. Before the crisis the number was about 12,000 shoppers a day," she said, adding that the number of shoppers at weekends was 12,000-13,000 a day.
"However, the number of foreign tourists visiting the shopping complex has not yet fully rebounded," Satima said.
The number of foreign visitors to Gaysorn has now reached 40-50 per cent of prerally levels. The foreigners started coming back about three weeks after the end of the rally, she said.
"We expect the numbers of both local and foreign tourists will be fully recovered by the end of August, which is in line with our earlier projection," Satima said, adding that there had been no significant return of shoppers, either local or foreign, in the first few weeks after the red-shirt demonstration.
During the rally, about 60 per cent of the supplies of retailers and business entrepreneurs had disappeared, Satima said.
The recovery of shopping traffic had been driven by various campaigns in the area, such as the End of Season Sale, Thailand Grand Sale and Rajprasong Summer Sale.
"We have seen improving occupancy at hotels in the Rajprasong area, which is now averaging between 35 and 40 per cent," Satima said.
She said shopping malls and their tenants who had been badly affected by the rally were still waiting for the government's relief measures, including SME loans and the 0.7-month cash assistance provided to shopping-mall operators, which had postponed rent collections from retail tenants for more than two months.
Central Department Stores' vice president for marketing Piyawan Leelasompop said: "We've seen continuous double-digit sales growth in our department stores, both downtown and in suburban areas of Bangkok."
Piyawan said Central Chidlom, for instance, had achieved a sales increase of 20 per cent over the predemonstration period.
"We have seen higher spending by individual shoppers because they restrained their shopping expenditure during the demonstration, which lasted for nearly two months," she said.
Piyawan said Central Department Stores had also conducted "The One Card" promotion from May 18 to June 16, helping drive sales over the post-rally period.